Systems and Methods for Secure Transaction Management and Electronic Rights Protection

1. A computer-readable medium containing executable program instructions, the executable program instructions being operable, when executed by a computer system, to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising: generating a first control set representing initial terms offered by a first entity to a second entity in exchange for obtaining rights to information under control of the second entity; obtaining a second control set from the second entity, the second control set reflecting the second entity's rejection of at least one of the initial terms of the first control set and proposing at least one alternative term; generating a third control set of agreed upon terms, the third control set including said at least one alternative term; sending the third control set to the second entity; obtaining the information from the second entity; and accessing the information in accordance with the third control set.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising executable program instructions operable to cause the computer system to further perform operations comprising: digitally signing the first control set.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 , further comprising executable program instructions operable to cause the computer system to further perform operations comprising: time-stamping the first control set.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising executable program instructions operable to cause the computer system to further perform operations comprising: authenticating the second entity based, at least in part, on a digital signature associated with the second control set.